1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitoring apparatus for a housing of a bill and coin processing device, etc.
This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-84351, filed on Mar. 27, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, monitoring apparatuses for a housing that monitor door(s), drawer(s), etc., are known.
For example, a monitoring apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication 2001-283356 is known that uses a sensor to detect that someone other than the qualified operators has unlocked and opened the monitored apparatus such as a safe or a bill and coin processing device, and reports the fact, through the main unit to which the sensor is connected wirelessly or with wires, to the security firm, etc., or raises an alarm.
To the door(s) or drawer(s) provided to the housing of the above-described monitored apparatus, sensors that detect opening/closing or locking/unlocking of the door(s) or the drawer(s) are respectively attached. Generally, these sensors need electric power. Electric power is supplied from the power supply circuit of the monitored apparatus.
Therefore, there is a problem in that once the power supply from the outside to the monitored apparatus is shut off, the power supply to the sensors also ceases, thus causing the sensors to stop.
On the one hand, to enable the above sensors to be actuated even if the power supply to the monitored apparatus is shut off, the following configurations are known: a configuration in which electric power is supplied to the monitored apparatus directly from the main unit of the monitoring machine installed outside the housing of the monitored apparatus and a configuration in which a dry contact is provided. However, in such configurations, wiring from the main unit of the monitoring machine is required. Therefore, for example, in the relocation of the monitored apparatus, the place for the apparatus is limited within the range the existing wires can reach, or there is need for a new wiring.
On the other hand, as for the power source of the above sensors, a backup battery can be provided inside the monitored apparatus. However, this will result in an enlarged apparatus due to the installment of the battery, increase in cost due to the increased number of component parts or to maintenance of the battery, etc.